Krasovic/NFL Insider: Redskins mishandled Robert Griffin III

The Redskins failed Robert Griffin III by not protecting him from himself.

By sticking with him in Sunday’s playoff game, even though a knee injury had increasingly hindered him throughout the contest, coach Mike Shanahan overly trusted the rookie who, as many NFL quarterbacks would, insisted he could continue to play.

Griffin, playing in the fourth quarter of his third game since spraining a knee, plopped to the turf when his ailing knee kept him from pursuing an errant snap.

The devastating news that followed: Griffin had sustained two ligament tears.

On Wednesday the club announced the 22-year-old had surgery to repair one knee ligament – the lateral collateral – and to reconstruct his anterior cruciate.

“We expect a full recovery and it is everybody’s hope and belief that due to Robert’s high motivation, he will be ready for the 2013 season,” Dr. James Andrews said in a statement released by the team.

It should go without saying that all NFL players are at risk of severe injury, every time they enter a game.

Griffin merited extra caution, though, and I’m not being a second-guesser in saying so.

Four months ago I wrote a
column
that the Redskins needed to be extra aware about protecting Griffin III late in the season once the beatings took their toll, as seemed almost inevitable given his dual threat style and a rookie's learning curve. Better to game out proactive scenarios, I figured, than allow the emotions of the moment to sway the decision later.

In fact, I suggested the team adapt a modified “Strasburg Plan” and resolve to hold out a banged-up Griffin III late in the season -- though without making the intent public -- just to restore him to close to full speed and thereby reduce the risk of injury when he returned.

I cited several factors that made his risk profile distinctive: 1) Griffin, a leggy 6-foot-2, 217-pounder, is built like a wide receiver but was absorbing a running-back’s punishment (knocked down 22 times by my count in Week Three, by a Bengals defense that hit him on runs, passes and even after he faked handoffs); 2) Griffin would resist attempts to hold him out; 3) Griffin had reconstructive knee surgery in 2009.

I also wrote that if Griffin made it healthy to his second year (when he'd be more adept at reading defenses), it'd be a victory for both the Redskins in the NFL.

The Redskins’ official Web site posted a link to my column, along with excerpts and a summary. Andrew Walker, a writer for the team, disagreed strongly with my recommendations and concluded:

“I’m 100 percent sure the organization has Griffin III’s health and well-being in mind, but shutting him down early just wouldn’t be the best situation for the entire team.”

Running outside the pocket in Week 14, Griffin suffered a sprain to his surgical knee when he took a direct shot from Ravens behemoth Haloti Ngata.

Shanahan deactivated Griffin for the next game, and rookie Kirk Cousins played well in the victory at Cleveland.

Griffin returned the following week. Though he never was at full speed, he stayed in the lineup in the final two games as the Redskins won their first NFC East title since 1999.

That the Redskins’ homefield – a disgrace – seemed more suitable to a Monster Truck competition didn't help Griffin's chances of surviving the playoff opener.

Early in the game Seahawks end Chris Clemons lost his footing while being blocked, then crumpled to the turf. He'd torn his ACL.

Although Seahawks coach Pete Carroll stopped short of attributing Clemons’ injury to the field, he later criticized the conditions to ESPN 710 in Seattle.

“It was horrible,” he said. “It’s a horrible field. It’s as bad a field can get for being dry. And it’s too bad.